Pilot Bearing Removal/install

My People, I have been wrestling with the pilot bearing in the flywheel. I can't get the old one out. I have soaked it in PB blaster, hammered on it, tried using a lifter puller... question to those of you who have actually done this service.. how did you get it out?? Also pro tips on re-install would be appreciated.

https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4421-Bear...bearing+puller Check with your local O'Reilly's to borrow. Or, you can just buy one. Any of the inner or blind pilot bearing pullers will do. Use a long socket just slightly smaller diameter than the outer race of the bearing to put the new one in. Must rest on the outer race of the bearing. Or, you could spring for a bearing driver kit. https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-19-Piec...bearing+driver Or again, check with O'Reillys for rent/borrow.

Two ways, one fill the center full of grease and use a punch to create hydraulic pressure, or pack it full of wet newspaper to do the same thing. I've been using both methods for years and they have never failed. YouTube using grease to remove bearings, there are tons of videos to install, use a socket just smaller than the outer race as suggested above

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Thu=is could go horribly wrong so I'll suggest a few cautionary strategies. Fill the hole with Kroil - for days.This is no time for home-brew or snake oil penetrants. 1.Get a new bearing and carefully measure the thickness. That is all the 'land' surface area you have to pull on. Not much !So be careful not to mangle it. 2.Get a 3 jaw puller that fits or any expanding mandrel that really fills the hole. You will need to grind down the back of the jaws a little to fit. But first -Grind the leading edge of the 'tooth' to fit the radius of the bearing perfectly. Grind the tooth back a little if the remaining part looks weak. 3. Use a slide hammer not the hand wheel to extract. Impact is your friend,not tension. 4.Consider using your dental skills/tools to cut slightly into the bearing -along it's length. If you cut through a little ,it does not matter -much. Try tapping the bearing in fractionally deeper while immersed in Kroil. If you can break part of the 'seal' this way ,it will help. Most of all get a good quality puller with small proportions. Or take the flywheel to a Machine Shop with a few 6 packs.

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This works for sure. You can even use a piece of wooden dowel rod as your "punch". Anything that closely fits the hole so the hydraulic pressure from the grease goes where you want it to and pushes the bearing out.

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The grease or newspaper method is not a snake oil or homebrew method. It's actually fluid mechanics, which is just a pesky little part of physics, you know science stuff. There is no "seal" per say to be broken. The method you have suggested will doubtfully work, and take an incredable amount of unnecessary amount of time, and increase the chances for colateral damage. I did read somewhere it was suggested you just remove said flywheel and tap out the bearing from the back

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I've used bolts, dowels, floats, and actual punches. Like you said, you need something close to the size

Thank you everyone, I have now a nice little list: Inspect clutch Inspect pilot bearing Inspect flywheel (don't expect issue) Inspect or just replace RMS Maybe replace IMS Clean/replace clutch fork, throwout bearing and spring Inspect engine mount Replace transmission mount duh...wrong forum....too much alt-tab at work I guess

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I'm pretty sure this is the "method" I used... It was such a non issue that I don't even really remember what I did (hence the roflmao...). I'm sure it was simple though...

You remove the flywheel from the car, put the flywheel face down on some wood planks, tap it out. The direction is gear box side toward the engine side.

It has been a while since I had mine apart, but I don�t recall the 996 bearing being in a blind hole, so the grease trick probably is best saved for a different application. As I recall, once you remove the flywheel, you can just tap it out with a ball peen hammer and suitable driver (a socket works). I have all kinds of pullers and probably have ones that would work fine, but they are kind if overkill for such a simple task. FYI, The new replacement flywheel comes with the bearing installed (at least the Luk brand does).